The 100th Hunger Games
by Rocket201495
Summary: The rebels lost the war and The Hunger Games are still being held. The Fourth Quarter Quell is underway. Follow Evelyn Denny, a poor farm girl from District 10, and her friends as they compete in the 100th Hunger Games. Rated T because it's the Hunger Games.
1. The Reaping

"Evelyn Denny! Come on already we seriously have to go!"

I sigh and take one last breath of the clean, fresh air. Who knows if I'll ever see it again? I glance once more at the flat, smooth ground of the pasture in front of me, I'm from District 10, livestock, and I of course live on a farm. I run the tips of my fingers on the top of the rough wood fence and then turn away. The bawling of baby calves, hungry pigs, and the whine of my little dog accompany me as I leave. My white, knee length dress flaps in the wind and I'm constantly pulling it down as I follow my sister, Catherine, down the dirt road that leads from our little farm house on the outskirts of town to the center of town. I am careful to avoid the mud puddles so I don't ruin my black shoes.

It's Reaping Day, and to make it worse than it usually is, it's the Fourth Quarter Quell. This year the twist on the regular fight to the death is interesting. Each district will draw four names, two boys and two girls, like the Second Quarter Quell, but this time they will compete on a team of four against the other districts. It's supposed to be a sign of the Capitol's 'generosity' by giving us the opportunity for four victors. But team members can die so not the whole team makes it out and eleven other districts loose twice as many children.

As we get closer to town the puddles increase in size and quantity. To Catherine's dismay, I am forced to jump and skip over them to keep clean. My bangs flop into my face and I stop at a puddle to check my reflection. I sweep my chestnut colored hair out of my eyes and run my fingers through the long side ponytail to comb out the tangles. There are dark circles under my deep, brown eyes. If I do get picked today, I sure don't look as presentable as Catherine with her bouncy, golden curls, baby blue eyes, and natural beauty. I'm the plain one of us two, the boys at school flocked to my twin (surprised aren't you?) and avoided me like I was a mutt. At seventeen, I've never had a boyfriend, Catherine has had too many to count.

We must be getting close because I start to see more kids traveling down the same road as us. Catherine finds a friend and they chat, she seems to think nothing will happen to her, which it probably won't because I've always been the one to take tesserae. While her name is only entered six times, mine is entered twenty-four times. Despite my jealousy of her, I love her too much to let her risk her life. It does hurt a little to see how unconcerned she is, she doesn't even seem to realize what I've sacrificed for her. I would give her anything, my life even, just for her to notice me. I don't think she even cares for me at all. I embarrass her and she ignores me, never has she acknowledged my presence. Maybe she hopes I will get chosen as tribute so she doesn't have to deal with me anymore.

I walk in silence, consumed in grief, and no one approaches me. There's a few people at school that i talk to, but I'm not the social butterfly my sister is. I'm too shy and reserved. People are drawn to her and repelled by me. It's not that I'm a mean or unfriendly person; I just hide from people it seems. I continue into town without companionship on this bleak day that is the start of the worst few weeks of the year.

"Happy Hunger Games everyone and may the odds be ever in your favor!" Fovlias Redema shouts, his electric blue curls bounce in excitement. His outfit is the weirdest yet this year, instead of sporting suits that match his hair; he is clad in a suit with thousands of 100s stitched on in so many bright colors it hurts my eyes to look at him. I suppose the 100th year of The Hunger Games means many Capitol folk will be dressed in ridiculous apparel to celebrate it. Fovlias's shoes change colors with every step he takes and his fingers are covered in glowing rings.

I don't even pay attention to the same video they show every year about the first rebellion of the districts that gave us The Hunger Games and the second rebellion that showed the need for The Hunger Games. Following that is the memorial service for the first President Snow who led Panem out of the second war and then we see the replays of the execution of the leaders of the second rebellion. Now I pay attention, this is the part that always has my full attention. It's the part that shows the moment our fate was sealed.

Two women, one old and one young, are led onto a stage. Their hands are bound behind their backs and their feet are shackled so they can only shuffle along. The old one, District 13's President Coin, holds her head high and proud as she walks her last few steps. The other one, The Mockingjay, The Girl on Fire, the face of the rebellion, Katniss Everdeen, follows her with her head bowed. Both are thin and pale from starvation, their hair is matted and dirty. Their filthy clothes hang off of them pitifully. Coin tries to look strong, but behind the façade you can see the pain in every step, every breath that she takes. Katniss on the other hand, doesn't hide anything. Her face scares me everytime I watch this. In her eyes you can see everything she has gone through. They are empty, hollow pits of gray. The horrifying part is that she has nothing left; everything was taken already, her family, her home, her pride, her hope, and Peeta Mellark.

The fake romance between her and the other district twelve tribute may have been a sham in their games, but the bond they developed after wasn't. When Peeta was killed, something changed in Katniss. I've seen the public beatings on the tiny television in our house before. It's mandatory on the anniversary of the rebels defeat. She still had some fight when he was by her side lash after lash, cut after cut, until the day his broken body couldn't take it anymore. The cruelest part was how Snow ordered for her bonds to be released so she could hold the boy until his last breath. You could see her will to live slip away as his life did. I believe Katniss Everdeen really did love him, she might not have known it, but you could see it. Without Peeta, she truly had lost everything. Her and Coin were the last two to go, but you could see how much Katniss wanted to die. She no longer fought the chains or hardly flinched from the blows. She had nothing to fight for. When Snow put the bullet through her head, she was finally free.

"Being a true gentleman as I am, we shall let the ladies go first!" I'm brought out of my trance by Fovlias. This is it, the moment when I find out if the odds are in my favor or not. Fovlias's long, blue nails reach into the huge glass ball and dig around the bottom for a name. All eyes are glued to the stage. He finally pulls out a piece of paper and reads the name. "Caroline Volk!" he claps his hands together, no one else does. I feel guilty at my relief that it wasn't Catherine or me because this poor girl now is sentenced to death.

Caroline Volk emerges from the eighteen year olds. Her sandy-blonde hair is tied back with a blue bow. She calmly walks and takes her place on the stage. I can see her knees shaking. She looks delicate in her plain blue dress, definitely not one of the vicious Career tributes. She might not make it far.

"And now for our next brave young woman!" Fovlias must be getting bored because the next name is plucked right from the top. "Evelyn Denny!"

What? Faces swarm in my vision but I don't really see them. I stare down Fovlias's smiling, too white teeth. He must have made a mistake, I can't be reaped, my family needs me to run the farm so we don't starve. I can't be tribute!

I feel cold as gentle hands push me towards the stage. I hear a faint wailing but I can't really match it to a face. I don't really know who could be crying for me. My mother is bed-ridden and my father can't leave her side to come watch the reaping.

"Don't be shy now! We all are excited to see you dear!" I just want to punch Fovlias's wig right off his face. I don't really remember how I made it onto the stage but I stand by Caroline Volk. We don't look at eachother, if we did I might burst into tears.

"Now that we have two fine, young ladies to represent us, let's move on to the boys!"

I stare at the clear blue sky, determined not to show my fear. I feel my face mold into the blank canvas I use so often. I can't afford to be weak now. I think of home, of feeding the pigs, chasing the cows, catching a chicken for supper, anything but where I am now.

"Erik Van Rouge!" my eyes snap to the boys half of the crowd. I remember that these people aren't my enemies in these games. They are truly my allies. I should at least know who they are. Erik Van Rouge walks out of the sixteen section in a pair of black pants and a simple white button up shirt, he slowly makes his way towards the stage. He has shaggy black hair that keeps falling into his eyes faster than his shaky hands can push it away. His hazel eyes are tight with fear, but other than that he is keeping his composure.

For the first time I turn to meet Caroline's gaze, I see hope in her pleasant, light green eyes. Erik is a good sized kid, tan and muscled from farm work. He could be a good addition to the team, I'm sure some Capitol girls are swooning over him right now. Caroline may not be the biggest or strongest, but the way she studies things I can tell she is smart. She is cute too so that will help with sponsors. I'm strong for my age and for being a girl. My muscles are fit and in shape from work. At school I'm one of the fastest and most athletic, I can wield an axe pretty well I would say from having to chop fire wood or chicken heads off. A little training and I might have something to give. We nod at Erik as he reaches the stage and I see his face harden now that the initial shock is over.

"Let's wrap things up with our last tribute!" Once again Folvias scoops one from the very top and reads the name quickly. "Jason Fuller!" He steps out of the seventeen group; he's tall and strong looking. His short, dark brown hair rustles in the wind slightly as he calmly walks forward. His eyes are the darkest brown I've ever seen, almost black, and are resting in a face that will win us gold. It could have only been sculpted by the gods, and they must have been looking out for me when they chose him to join our team. You can see the strength in his broad shoulders and his athletic build even if it's covered in a faded blue button up shirt and tan dress pants. No way will we not get a bunch of screaming fan girls to spend their daddy's money on sponsoring us. He looks like a fighter too; maybe the odds are in my favor.

Jason takes the stage; his perfect face is blank, giving away nothing.

"Well now let's shake hands in good sportsmanship and once again, may the odds be ever in your favor!" Fovlias must want to get going, he sure is hustling us along. I don't protest when Caroline grabs my hand and pulls me over towards the two boys. She motions to me to stand between Erik and Jason and grab their hands. I do as she says and Jason raises his brow at me as I twine my fingers through his long ones. Following Caroline's lead, I raise my joined hands into the air in a show of unity. The crowd is silent for an immeasurable moment, then like a breaking dam, their applause bursts from their hands and they chant 'District Ten!' in support of us. I feel my face break into a smile; I'm touched to see their confidence that we can make it home.

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	2. The Start Of The Journey

We enter the Justice Building together but as soon as the doors shut peacekeepers rip us apart and lead us away. I've only ever seen the outside of the huge, white Justice Building, the inside is beautiful. The floors are red with intricate gold patterns and swirls on them, the walls are white like the outside with pictures of the mayor, President Snow, and the emblem of District ten. I'm thrown into a room and the door locks behind me. I spy a small wooden chair in the middle but I can't sit, I'm too nervous to sit. The adrenaline back on the stage is gone and I feel like if I move I'll lose it. I hear the door open again but I'm still frozen, it shuts and then someone slams into me from behind.

The wind is knocked out of me and I stumble but whoever it is holds me up. I look down at the pair of hands locked around my stomach; I would know those perfectly filed nails anywhere. Catherine sobs against my back and I'm speechless. I thought she resented me; maybe I was wrong all along.

"You have to make it back! You have to Evelyn! I need you, please come back!" She wails. She takes my right hand and slips a simple gold band on my ring finger. It was my mother's wedding ring, now it is my token to take with me into the arena.

"I had it just in case… I thought you would like it." Catherine says. "And since they couldn't be here now it's like them being with you the whole way instead."

"Thank you." I whisper.

I break her grip and turn to face her tear streaked face. I wipe some of the moisture from her cheeks. Her watery eyes stare at my face like it's the last time she will ever see it, it breaks my heart. She whimpers and embraces me again. I'm quite a bit taller than her; I rest my cheek on her forehead and let her tears soak the skin of my neck. There's nothing left to say really, goodbye is too painful, promising I'll see her again is impossible because we both know this might be it, all the things that she could say would take too long in the short time we have been given, and so we stay in silence and hang on to one another.

Too soon, the peacekeeper bursts into the room to take my sister away. We hang on tighter; he has to separate us by force. Catherine fights him, screaming my name the whole way as he carries her thrashing body away. Once the door shuts I lose the last bit of control I had. I crumple and lay on the floor in a tight ball, rocking back and forth. I scream, but it's silent so no one can hear me. I shake uncontrollably, the fear of the games and the loss of my family crushes me.

I know no one else will come for me, but my teammates are probably getting close to their time being up with their loved ones so I pull myself together for the cameras that are sure to be on my face every last moment of my life. Sure enough, just when I think I'm presentable a peacekeeper comes in to escort me to the train that will take me to the Capitol. In the hallway I see Caroline being led along up ahead of me and the two boys join us as we head towards the door.

It's complete chaos when we exit the Justice Building. Flashing lights from cameras and Capitol people swarm trying to interview us. The peacekeepers have to form a circle around us and fight them off as we slowly head for the train. Caroline grabs my hand and I can see that she is barely holding back tears, I feel the need to protect the older girl and I throw my arm around her and help lead her forward.

We finally reach the train and can escape the cameras for a little while. When the doors shut behind us and we are on the way Caroline leaves the circle of my arm and sits in a comfy looking, deep green chair. She puts her head in her hands and is silent. Erik wanders around and looks at the walls with a blank expression, Jason stares at me and I feel a bit uncomfortable. I move to the window to watch the world go by, I admit that I'm fascinated by the train and have always wanted to ride one. I suppose that wish has been granted in a sick, twisted sort of way.

"Have you ever met her before? Jezebel?" it's the first time I've heard Jason's voice. It's deep and velvety. I look over my shoulder and jump a bit when I see how close he is. He looks out the window like I was moments ago.

"N-No. I've never met her." I sound breathless. Yes, Jason is quite the thing to look at and most girls would be flustered in his presence, but I'm just startled by his sudden appearance.

"I've heard she's a complete lunatic these days. Not a surprise though after what happened in her games." Jason says calmly, like he isn't at all concerned that our only surviving mentor is insane and can't even take care of herself. I'm scared, mentors are our channel for sponsors' gifts, and if Jezebel can't pull it together then we are in trouble. But I can't help but feel some sympathy for her; she was reaped along with her brother ten years ago. The Careers got him, it wasn't pretty. I would probably be a nut case too if that happened to me.

Erik speaks up, "I've talked to her once. She's very… distracted."

Caroline lifts her head finally. Her eyes are bloodshot and her skin is very pale. "I'm sure she will try her best to help us." Her voice is thick with tears still.

I move away from Jason to comfort Caroline, I was looking for an escape from him anyway. He was so close that his breath tickled my forehead and it made me feel antsy. He has an amused look on his face as I leave and I feel my neck flush with a little anger. Does he think I'm some shallow girl who can't stand to be near his magnificence? Well he will see soon enough that is not the case. I won't be distracted by some petty little crush; I have much more important things to focus on, like staying alive for example!

I sit in the chair next to Caroline and take her hand. She smiles slightly at me.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"Yeah I'll be okay. It was just hard having to say goodbye…" Caroline's eyes tear up again.

"I understand." It would almost be cruel to tell her not to worry, we would all get home safe, because there's a good chance that none of us will.

"I'm done crying though! I swear. I just had to get it out, I couldn't take it anymore. Thanks for helping me out back there."

"It was nothing. We are a team and that's what we do, we look out for eachother." I say.

Caroline beams. "Yes! Exactly right Evelyn, I'm sure we can get someone to sponsor us. Then we just need to figure out a strategy and we might have a shot at this!"

I nod and just then someone crashes into the room. Caroline and I jump to the ceiling, Erik snaps his head around, and Jason slowly turns in the direction of the commotion. A woman with long, perfectly straight, black hair stumbles around the room muttering to herself. I look at Caroline questionly and she shrugs. Erik sighs and we turn to him.

"This is Jezebel James, our mentor." He walks over to the poor woman and her wide eyes turn to his face.

"Terence? Brother is that you?" Her voice is hollow and empty.

"No Jezebel. I'm Erik Van Rouge. You're my mentor remember?"

"Mentor… yes… I won didn't I? I wish I didn't though… Terence should have been the winner. He would be so much better…" She sounds dreamy now.

"Jezebel, can you help us?" Erik says gently, like he's talking to a child, not an adult.

Jezebel's eyes have bags under them and her forehead is wrinkled. Her eyes are an interesting electric blue color, but they are bloodshot and tired looking. She can't be that old, only in her mid-twenties, but she looks like she should be in her late forties. Her hair is dry and streaked with silver. She is sickly thin; her clothes hang like sacks on her body. She could have been very beautiful at one time, but her body is wasted and broken now.

"I couldn't help Terence, I couldn't save him… Terence…" Jezebel spins in a slow circle. "Terence…" she whispers. " Terence where are you? I found water, you won't be so thirsty now, and you'll feel better. Where are you?" Suddenly Jezebel screams. "Terence! Terence no! Leave him alone! Take me instead please!" Jezebel runs into the wall and starts to bang her small hands against it. "You're hurting him! Stop it, stop it! Just let him go please! Just let him go…"

She turns around quick as a cat. She looks weak but she's still very agile. Her eyes are wild and they search the room until they find something to lock on… me. "Opal! I'll kill you!" She flies at my face and swipes for my eye with her long, cracked yellow nails. I don't really know how, but I roll over the arm of the chair and she only gets a handful of hair, but she's in a rage and yanks it so hard she almost rips a chunk out. I hear Erik's shout of surprise and a pounding of feet against the floor. Someone scoops me up and takes me to the other side of the room. I look back and see Erik and Caroline pinning a twisting Jezebel to the floor as she screams in rage.

"You okay?" Jason asks. My arms are wrapped around his neck and I'm trembling a bit from the shock of our mentor trying to hurt me.

"I think so." I say shakily. Jason's arms support me like I weigh nothing. "Just a little freaked that's it."

Jason's eyes are fixed on the struggle between our companions and Jezebel. Jezebel is losing her strength and her thrashes become weaker and weaker. Thinking I'm safe, Jason sets me down on my own feet. I loosen my grip on him and slide to the floor, all the way to the floor until I'm sitting with my back against the wall. Jason joins me; he's close enough that our shoulders almost touch.

"What do we do now? We don't have a mentor, how will we get sponsors now?" I feel defeated. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them tightly. "Jason, what are we going to do?"

Jason wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side. I rest my head on my knees. "I don't know Evelyn. I just don't know."

* * *

"Wave at them Evelyn, they love it!" Erik says. He and Caroline stand at the window waving and smiling at the Capitol people standing along the streets as our train pulls in. I shake my head; I'm too disgusted with them to let them see me yet. They can wait. Jason seems to agree with me, he's hiding in the corner of the room too.

"Hard to believe it was only yesterday that I was waking up and doing chores like any other normal day." Jason says. I can hear the longing in his voice. "I miss it already."

"Me too." I say. "I wonder how my sister is doing, she wasn't much for getting down and dirty. That was always my job." I giggle at the image in my head of Catherine feeding the hogs. I can just see her wrinkled up nose and pursed lips at the horrifying task she has to perform.

"I can see that. Your hands are rough and calloused from working like mine." He holds his palm out so I can examine it.

"How do you know what my hands feel like?"

He flashes a perfect set of white teeth when he smiles. "You held my hand, remember?

"Oh, right."

We sit in silence for a few minutes. Jason is the first to break it of course; I'm not much of a conversation starter. Figures he would ask something personnel.

"Are you always this quiet?"

I sigh, "Yes, always have been."

"Why?"

"Um, I don't know. I guess… I guess I'm just that way. It's not something I can really explain."

He nods. "I see. It's not a bad thing you know, nice to not feel like I have to fill every moment with conversation."

I nod in agreement. "Why did you ask?"

He rubs his eyes then stares at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I don't know really. I guess I'm just trying to figure you out." He looks at me and raises a brow. He smiles a bit but I can see a hint of frustration in his eyes. "Normally it's not this hard."

I don't really know what to say to that so I just turn away and study the blank walls for the millionth time.

"Like that! Right there you just shut me out again." I'm getting a little annoyed now for some reason.

"I'm not a puzzle you know. You don't have to solve me." I meet his gaze again. I can see it now, the way his eyes search mine looking to unravel my secrets.

"Well we have to trust each other with our lives now. How are you going to trust me if you won't let me get to know you?" He makes sense, but I don't really want to hear it. No one has ever bothered to get to know me. I hardly spoke to anyone at school and they never tried to talk to me; they didn't care enough to get to know me. I don't really want to let anyone do it now, I wasn't good enough then so why am I now?

"Maybe if you prove worthy I'll let you inside my head, until then don't bother." I stand and move to the window where Erik and Caroline are.

Caroline is blowing kisses to the crowd and they are eating it up. Erik winks at screaming teenage girls. I just stare, they are so strange. I see a woman with blue skin, a man with shining gold hair, so many strange outfits and looks they call fashion. It's almost scary.

Jason can't seem to leave me alone. His face hovers just over my right shoulder. I'm about to shove him away but then I see the look in his eyes. He stares at the citizens of the Capitol with uncontrolled rage and hate, he composes himself in a second but not before I witness his true feelings towards the Capitol. His face turns and is only inches from mine, he smells clean like soap. "Terrifying isn't it?" He leans forward to whisper in my ear, his voice is full of venom.

I nod and my cheek brushes his, it's scratchy from the light stubble on it.

"Those two are much better actors than us. Try to stay neutral at least. Don't let them see how much you resent them, if you can't make them believe you love them, at least don't let them see how opposite your feelings are."

I nod again and he pulls back to stare at the people outside the train. We have come to a stop finally. The girls who were fawning over Erik have now caught sight of Jason. They point at his face and nudge their friends to get their attention. I smirk at Jason and say to him,

"Well your face has been put to good use here at least."

Jason's face is blank, concealing his hatred like he instructed me to. "Too bad they don't realize it will never be theirs."

The doors open and I'm shocked when Jason grabs Caroline and me by the hand and leads us forward quickly. I reach out and grab Erik before he is out of reach. Normally our mentor or mentors would come with us, but Jezebel is currently locked in a room so she doesn't try to kill anymore tributes. We are on our own. A hoard of peacekeepers lead us through the crowd but this time the people are allowed to touch us instead of being fought away brutally. Most of the hands reach out and go for Jason, but one set finds me.

"Yum, I hope you make it little girl, I would like to taste you."

I stare into the eyes of a middle-aged man who has me by the waist with both hands.

"Just in case you don't." He leans in towards my lips; I pull away but with limited movement from the packed crowd and his hands pulling me closer I'm not very successful.

"Watch it mister, she's not up for grabs." Erik steps in between and holds the man away. The man's face turns purple with anger. Jason's hand yanks me closer to him and I pull Erik along with me. Caroline is moved so she is on my right and the boys are flanking us.

"Thanks for saving me Erik." I say gratefully.

Erik smiles at me. "Practicing for the arena." His smiles disappears quickly though. "Plus that's just gross and very disrespectful."

"Someone go for you too?" Caroline asks. Her hair is a bit messed up like someone grabbed a handful. "Jason stepped in for me thankfully." Jason looks like he can barely hold himself together. Everyone else might not see it, but I can see how much he wants to just start beating the life out of every person he can get his hands on. Wouldn't take much for me to do it either, normally I'm not violent but when I go into a 'rage' as Catherine says, anything that moves better watch out.

After walking through a crowd of people pawing at us we finally reach the Training Center. The four of us remain linked at the hands before peacekeepers come and break us apart. As we head our separate ways Caroline shouts, "Don't fight the stylists!" I'll have to remember her words as those creepy Capitol people poke around trying to make me look perfect.


	3. Tribute Parade

"Evelyn Denny?" a man asks as he steps into the room. He must be the stylist; he has long silver hair that goes to the middle of his back. His skin isn't dyed, but he has silver tattoos on his neck and forearms. His eyes are gray and highlighted with silver eye shadow to bring out the lighter flecks in his eyes. He wears a plain black shirt and pants though, not the weird clothes most sport. He is tall and very thin, not one bit scary or intimidating.

"Yes?" I can still hear the suspicion in my voice, I know he won't hurt me, but I guess it's in my nature.

"I'm Nevo, your stylist." He seems to be nervous, "This is my first year."

That explains why I didn't recognize him; most stylists for this event are televised quite a bit. I never remember their names, but I can recognize faces.

"How are you feeling?" Nevo asks me.

I'm a little surprised he cares about my feelings. His compassion soothes my nerves a little and I decide I can trust him. I haven't been able to tell anyone how I really feel, it's all bottled up inside of me so I guess that's why I tell him the honest truth.

"I feel like a chicken that's been plucked for dinner, I probably have only one layer of skin left after all that scrubbing and waxing. My eyebrows hurt from the tweezers, my teeth are sore from the whitening, my nails ache from the filing. But above all," I hear my voice tremble but Nevo's kind eyes keep me going. "I'm scared to death." I finish with a whisper. I twist my mother's wedding band around my finger as Nevo studies me. He finally breaks the tension by speaking.

"I swear I will use every ounce of skill, all the knowledge that I have, and every minute of my time to help you." His eye light up. There's a fire in my stylist, I didn't think that anyone from the Capitol would want to help me. Perhaps he thinks I can win so that's why he said those things, maybe he truly wants to just help, whatever the reason is I don't care. I just need all the help I can get.

Nevo instructs me to stand up; I'm dressed in a white robe and nothing else. He tells me to remove it, I know that this is his job and he won't think anything of it, but I'm still a little self-conscious. I remember Caroline's words to not fight the stylists though so I slip off the robe. Nevo studies my naked body, he doesn't take very long and then he nods and says I can put the robe back on. I do so quickly, it's chilly in here.

Nevo sits on the bed and pats the spot next to him for me to take. I do and then he starts to talk.

"As you are well aware of, the tribute parade is tonight. Now normally your district has been famous for typically wearing cow costumes. Well we are going to change it up a bit. We have done our research and designed four outfits for your team and they aren't all cows. You will represent the cow-"

"I thought you weren't putting me in a cow costume!" I cover my lips and apologize for the interruption. Nevo smiles and pats my shoulder.

"I said you would represent the cow, not be the cow silly girl. Your other friends will represent a horse, a pig, and a sheep. Don't fret, you will look fabulous and not at all like a real cow." Nevo rises from the table and offers me his hand. I take it and he leads me through a door in the room and into another, much bigger room. He takes me to a vanity table made of gorgeous oak and sits me down.

He gives me a new face, literally. I don't recognize myself when he lets me look in the mirror when he is finished. A girl looks back at me; her lips are a beautiful apple red, her cheeks slightly flushed. Her skin is flawless and her eyes are big and mysterious. Her thick lashes are miles long and brush her high cheekbones when she blinks. White eye shadow and black eyeliner make her face even more stunning and dramatic. Her dark hair falls in waves down her back. I'm a little scared though, who is that girl I see? Where is Evelyn in my reflection? I don't wear makeup normally or do anything to my hair except pull it back in a side ponytail. I've never been beautiful, but Nevo's hands have made me beautiful for the first time.

"Thank you." I watch my full lips move as I speak. "It's wonderful."

"You're very welcome darling, now onto the dress!" Nevo sweeps out of the room and leaves me with the new Evelyn. I stare at her baffled face in the mirror until I hear the footsteps announcing Nevo's return.

"Close your eyes! I want to see the look on your face when the full picture is finished." He sounds super excited so I obey.

I drop the robe and lift my arms so Nevo can slip the dress on. He is careful not to mess up my hair or makeup, the fabric is smooth as silk as it falls down my body. Nevo guides me blindly over somewhere and then I open my eyes when he tells me to.

My mouth gaps open at the sight of me in the full length mirror. It's definitely not a cow costume. The dress is fitted tightly to my body- not so tight that I can't breathe or walk- and flares out at the bottom in a mermaid style. Its pure white and shines in the light.

"It's beautiful Nevo, but how am I representing a cow? I look more like the sheep I think."

"Just wait dear." Nevo puts black stud earrings in my ears, a delicate looking gold necklace with a simple black stone around my neck, and lastly ties a black sash around my torso and ties it behind me so the tail of it goes to the bottom of the dress.

"It's a more elegant and sophisticated look to the cow isn't it? Now that you're black and white do you see the inspiration from the cow?"

I nod. "It's perfect, thank you Nevo."

He grins from ear to ear. "I'm glad you like it. Now it's time to meet up with your friends but first you'll need these." He gives me a pair of pitch black pumps to slip my feet in and black gloves that go all the way to my elbows. I haven't worn heels ever; luckily Nevo lets me hang on to his arm as I wobble out of the room.

* * *

"You look great Evelyn!" Caroline exclaims. She was the sheep in our group; her dress goes to about knee length and made of a material that is light, but looks and feels like the soft wool of a lamb. Her shoes are boots made of wool that go to the middle of her calf. She has glittering diamond drop earrings and a sparkly bracelet on her thin wrist. Her hair is curly and pulled into a side ponytail. She looks innocent, like a lamb. I wonder if our stylists were going for that. It suits her though, that's what Caroline is despite her age, she's innocent. Normally that would be the approach if you had a very young tribute, but it works for Caroline.

It's a good thing wearing pink doesn't bother Erik; he is wearing a skin tight pink long sleeve shirt that shows off his muscular chest and black pants and shoes. His outfit is really simple, I don't understand why because Caroline and I's are more extravagant and eye-catching. I guess they are hoping we will catch people's attention and then we will keep it.

Jason is dressed very simple as well. Khaki colored pants and a white button up shirt. He has chaps on and spurs on his brown cowboy boots. He has a cowboy hat to top it off. Not that it takes much to make Jason get some attention; one of the ladies who was painting my nails was talking to her friend about how her daughter was totally infatuated with Jason after seeing him get off the train.

We are in the holding area waiting for the tribute parade to start. Our chariot has three, tan colored horses waiting to pull us along. The tributes from the other districts are getting their last minute checks by their stylists then start to board. I've been getting an awful lot of glares from girls and lots of double-takes from the boys. I wish they would just fix their stares on something else besides me. Jason walks over to me, I wonder why he won't look at me in the eye?

"Ready for this?" he asks.

"As much as I'll ever be." I say back.

He nods and continues to stare over my head as he speaks. "Well the Capitol is about to see something they've never seen before." He finally meets my eyes for a second before they flit away. "My stylist and I have something in store. Just don't question it alright."

"What is it?"

An impish grin lights his features. "Oh you'll see soon enough."

He turns his back and walks away. I search for Nevo, he spots me and comes over. "Everything alright?" He asks me.

"How do I look?" I say in a small voice, District 1 is about to go and the nerves have finally knotted my stomach up and left me short of breath.

"Stunning darling. Now remember what I told you to do."

I gulp and repeat his instructions. "Wave, smile as much as I can, be friendly, stand up straight and proud."

"You'll do great darling. I'll be right there waiting for you at the end and you will have your friends with you the whole way." he gestures to my team, they are talking amongst themselves. "Now get over there."

I nod and walk over to them. I've gotten a bit better with the heels, I just have to go slow.

"Don't throw up Caroline, you'll ruin your dress." Erik taunts.

Caroline lightly punches him on the arm, "Oh stop it Erik! I'm already nervous enough and you're not helping." Her eyes twinkle with laughter though as Erik fakes a look of pain on his face.

"Hey! I can't afford to have a bum arm Caroline! Watch it!"

"Time to go guys." Jason says. District 6 is just pulling out.

I stumble after my team and Erik hops in the chariot first. Jason gives Caroline a hand up and Erik helps her the rest of the way in. the step is only a foot off the ground, but I'm unsteady enough as it is.

Jason holds his hand out but I hesitate. "Come on." He says. "It's not that hard."

I lift the bottom of my dress so he can see the horrific shoes I'm wearing. "Easy for you to say."

He laughs and grabs my hand to pull me forward slowly. "I guess I'll have to find a solution then won't I?" He puts a hand on each side of my waist and lifts me up into the chariot where Erik is waiting to steady me when I am set down on my feet again. District 9 is pulling out now, we are next.

"Get in quick Jason." Caroline says but Jason isn't at the back like he was moments ago. Instead his voice comes from by the horses. He is riding bareback on the lead horse!

"Let's do this guys!" He shouts as our chariot is yanked forward. Erik's steady hand on my elbow is the only thing that keeps me from falling on my back. I stand between him and Caroline as we are engulfed by screaming and cheering people. I think I'm going to faint.

I hear shouts of surprise as they spot Jason on the back of a horse. Then people are cheering his name. "We can't be out done." Erik yells over the noise. He waves to the crowd and I hear the shrill cries of girls as he winks at them. Caroline is waving and blowing kisses into the crowd and I'm standing dumbstruck in between them like a deer caught in the crossfire of a hunter.

"Lighten up Ev!" Jason is twisted around and looking at me, still waving at the crowd. "They love it. Just raise your hand," I raise a shaking hand in the air. I'm scared to death by the flashing lights and loud sounds. "Good, now move it back and forth," I manage to move my numb arm like he says. "Now relax and smile." To prove his point Jason smiles at me encouragingly. I pull up the corners of my lips, it probably is more of a grimace than a smile.

Jason laughs and to my amazement he starts to stand on the back of his horse.

"What are you doing! I yell. He waves off my concern and leaps from his horse to one of the ones behind it. The whole crowd gasps as he wobbles and I think he is going to fall but then he plants a foot on the edge of the chariot and says. "Scoot over Evelyn." I barely have time to move before he slips in between me and Erik.

The crowd cheers and screams even louder and soon they are throwing all sorts of flowers at us. Jason turns and puts his lips close to my ear. "Can you smile for them now? They love us."

"They love you Jason, not me."

His breath tickles my ear as he laughs. "You have to give a little to get a lot with this crowd. Get your game face on silly girl. We are depending on you too, do it for us."

He pulls back and is waving at the crowd again. He is right, I have to try. These people won't like us as well if I look mean and unfriendly. I have to win their hearts.

I take a deep breath and try to ignore the nerves. I use my most dazzling smile and I wave again, this time I put my heart into it and fight through the fear. I didn't know they could scream any louder, but they sure can. Soon the chants of 'District 10' are all you can hear. Jason plucks a flower out of the air, a blood red rose, and tucks it behind my ear.

We finally reach where President Snow lives and he is standing up high on a ledge with a gold rail. His hands rest on the podium in front of him that holds a microphone. The chariots circle around the courtyard for a while before we all fall into our places and stop facing him.

He looks just like the old president, minus the white hair and wrinkles. He is a much younger version with sleek black hair.

I don't hear what he says, I'm a little light headed from the anxiety of the parade. I'm just trying not to fall down. Jason and Caroline must see that because each of them grasp a hand to steady me. I see the video they play at the reaping showing on a screen above Snow's head but I don't hear the words. I finally get my ears to work again when the president says. "May the odds be ever in your favor!" and then our chariot yanks forward towards the training center where we will be staying until we enter the arena.

* * *

It's a good thing the boys were ready to catch me because as soon as I hit the ground I fall forward.

"She alright?" Erik asks Jason.

He is too busy laughing that he can hardly answer as his strong arms hold me up. "Yeah just a little stressed out I'd say." He starts to bend down to pick me up but I stop him.

"I can walk just fine."

"If you say so." He lets go of me and I kick off those awful shoes so I can walk properly. The ground is cold but it feels nice against my burning feet.

I find Caroline and walk next to her, she's the only one who didn't question my abilities. She looks at me with a look of understanding. "Boys, they don't always realize we aren't all damsels in distress."

"That's for sure." I say with a sigh. "We can't all play that card."

She nods and closes her eyes for a moment before her pretty green irises lock back on mine. "Especially not us, that won't work where we are going."I say nothing, there isn't really anything to say.

Normally we would have a mentor and an escort along with our stylists to take us to our floor, but I never saw Fovlias on the train so I'm guessing he bailed on us and Jezebel isn't exactly in any shape to guide us. So our group is a bit smaller than the other districts.

Nevo comes and takes my discarded shoes out of my hands and then leads our group to the elevator doors. The other tributes glare at us as we go by, jealous and enraged that we took the spotlight away from them. We cram on to the elevator with about two other districts. One of the boys from 7 judging by the tree leaves on his shoulders brushes against me on accident, he literally growls at me when we touch and I'm confused. He's already this hostile?

Erik's arm snakes around my waist and pulls me in tighter to our side of the elevator and away from that boy. My back is pressed against Jason's chest and my shoulder against Erik's. Luckily we reach the fifth floor and District 5's team exits so it isn't as crowded in here. Erik doesn't release me though because that boy is still staring me down, his eyes aren't harsh this time, they are curious instead. This makes me more uncomfortable. I don't protest when Jason's wide body steps in front of mine to shield me. Caroline comes up behind me and wraps her arms through one of mine.

I can't see what's happening anymore but judging by the way Jason's muscles tense up and Erik pulls me and Caroline closer to him protectively I'm guessing it's not going well. The doors finally open at 7 and I hear footsteps leave, only when the doors shut and we start to head for our floor do I release the breath I was holding. The boys relax but Caroline still holds onto me.

"That was odd." One of the stylists says, I don't know their name.

"He looked like her wanted to kill you right here and now!" Caroline says shrilly. "But then he had the most peculiar look on his face. I wonder what is going on?"

Erik makes a growling noise in his throat, I jump thinking it's the District 7 boy again but it's just Erik. "Well he better watch it. If he tries to do anything before the arena I might get a little extra practice in."

I spin the ring on my finger, it's becoming a bit of a nervous habit. Jason just turns slowly around and looks at me. His expression is unreadable. Just then our elevator stops on the tenth floor, our floor, and we all exit.

My jaw drops when I see the beautiful room we step into. The walls are a deep blue color like the skies back home and the carpet is a rich brown like the soil. The plush furniture looks inviting in its pristine whiteness. The air even smells like the clean, fresh air after it rains back home.

A mahogany table is in the corner of the huge room where we will eat and there's food there waiting for us. Erik steps towards it but a stylist tsks us and says we must change before we eat. Nevo takes my hand and leads me down a hallway that has four doors. He takes me to the second one down and opens it. He motions for me to go in and then shuts the door behind us.

"Your quarters." He explains. It's so big. The bed, the closet, the bathroom, everything is big.

"Wow." I say.

"Different from home?" He says with a chuckle.

"Very, very different."

"Well you will find clothes in the closet over there. I will leave you to it then and be at supper as soon as you can." Nevo shuts the door lightly on his way out.

I walk over to the closet immediately, the dress is beautiful but I want to feel comfortable again. I'm not much of a dressy, girly girl to begin with. I like jeans and baggy shirts. I open up a drawer and find a dark blue shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans. I lay them on the bed while I carefully get out of my dress then change quickly and run out to dinner barefoot.

I'm shocked to see that a new face is at our table this evening, Fovlias. He sits at the head of the table and everyone else is seated at the sides. Erik and Caroline looked annoyed, Jason looks indifferent. The stylists chat happily about the success of the opening ceremonies and how all anyone can talk about is Jason's stunt with the horse. I take my seat at the end of the table between Nevo and one of the stylists with purple corkscrew curls.

"Well now that you've _finally_ arrived we can eat." Fovlias snaps at me before tucking into the food he piled onto his plate. Caroline and Erik sit on either side of him, judging by the look they share I'm a little worried they are about to shove their knives through his pale skin. Don't think we would be as popular if word gets out that we single-handedly murdered our district representative.

Luckily Caroline shakes her head slightly and they both reach forward to gather food on their own plates. I stop worrying and focus on the feast before me. Everything looks and smells amazing, I head for the beef first, we rarely keep any of the meat from the cattle we send to the butcher. We need all the money we can get so we just eat the chickens we raise mostly. When my mother became ill and my father refused to do anything but tend to her I had to run the farm almost completely by myself. I couldn't manage as much on my own so we made less and less each year, if it wasn't for tesserae we would starve. Eating beef became a thing of the past. As the wonderful taste fills my mouth I'm flooded with childhood memories of my mother cutting the meat into the thinnest strips to make soup with it, it was my favorite meal. I remember the good times before everything changed.

I don't mess with dessert, only real food to try and nourish my body and make it stronger for the games. Meat will strengthen me while sugar will make me fat and slow. Once everyone is finished Fovlias speaks.

"Well I suppose we should go over the schedule for tomorrow then. You four start training at 8 o'clock sharp, have lunch at noon, and then train until six. Everything clear? Good now I'm off to bed see you at supper tomorrow." He gets up and exits the room as fast as he can.

"Well he didn't tell us much that we didn't know." Jason grumbles. He rises from his chair and motions to us other tributes to follow him. We all get up and follow him back down the hallway where our rooms are, he opens the door to the third one down and we all file in. I wonder what he could possibly want?

**How am I doing? Suggestions are welcome!**


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